The administration of United States President Donald Trump has referred to as on Israel to probe the killing of 20-year-old American citizen Sayfollah Musallet, who was overwhelmed to dying by settlers within the occupied West Financial institution, calling the incident a “terrorist act”.
Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, mentioned on Tuesday that he requested Israel to “aggressively examine” the killing of the Florida-born Musallet, who was visiting household when he was attacked within the Palestinian city of Sinjil.
“There should be accountability for this prison and terrorist act,” Huckabee wrote in a social media put up. “Saif was simply 20 yrs previous.”
Huckabee’s strongly worded put up marks a uncommon important stance in direction of Israel by the US envoy, a staunch Israel supporter, who has beforehand mentioned, “There’s actually no such factor as a Palestinian.”
However the US ambassador’s assertion stops in need of backing the Musallet household’s demand for Washington to launch its personal probe into the killing.
Critics say Israel hardly ever holds its settlers or troopers accountable for abuses towards Palestinians. Musallet was the ninth US citizen to be killed by Israel since 2022. Not one of the earlier instances has led to prison prices.
The Institute for Center East Understanding (IMEU) Coverage Mission mentioned Israel shouldn’t be trusted to “examine the extremist settlers it allows at each flip”, renewing requires an impartial US probe.
Israel’s authorities can’t be trusted to research the extremist settlers it allows at each flip.
Saif was a US citizen. Our authorities should conduct its personal impartial, thorough, and clear investigation as it will if an American have been killed in another nation. https://t.co/oGnLSl5ic6
— IMEU Coverage Mission (@imeupolicy) July 15, 2025
One other Palestinian, recognized by well being officers as Mohammed Shalabi, was shot lifeless by settlers throughout the identical assault that killed Musallet on Friday.
Israeli settlers have been intensifying their assaults on Palestinian communities within the West Financial institution for the reason that outbreak of the war on Gaza in 2023.
Typically protected by the Israeli navy, settlers recurrently descend from their unlawful settlements onto Palestinian cities, the place they ransack houses, vehicles and farms and assault anybody who might stand of their approach.
A number of Western international locations, together with high allies of Israel, have imposed sanctions on far-right Israeli officers and teams over settler violence.
Trump lifted sanctions associated to settler assaults, put in place by his predecessor, Joe Biden, after returning to the White Home earlier this yr.
The US gives Israel with billions of {dollars} in navy assist yearly.
Over the previous few days, a number of Congress members have referred to as for accountability for Musallet.
Hakeem Jeffries, the highest Democrat within the Home of Representatives, referred to as the killing of Musallet “stunning and appalling”.
“The Israeli authorities should totally examine this killing and maintain any and all settlers chargeable for the brutal dying of Mr Musallet accountable to the fullest extent of the regulation,” he mentioned in a press release.
Congressman Maxwell Frost, who represents a district in Florida, additionally decried the “cold-blooded homicide”.
“As our nation’s self-proclaimed peacemaker, Donald Trump has an ethical and constitutional obligation to direct the State Division to conduct a radical investigation and, extra importantly, to demand full justice and accountability for these chargeable for this heinous act,” Frost mentioned in a press release.
“Our nation should make sure the safety and security of Individuals overseas.”
On Friday, Israel mentioned it was “investigating” what occurred in Sinjil, claiming that the violence began when Palestinians threw rocks at an Israeli car.
“Shortly thereafter, violent clashes developed within the space between Palestinians and Israeli civilians, which included the destruction of Palestinian property, arson, bodily confrontations, and stone-throwing,” the Israeli navy mentioned in a press release.
However Musallet’s household has disputed any account of “clashes”, saying {that a} “mob” of settlers surrounded the younger Palestinian American for 3 hours in the course of the assault and prevented medics from reaching him.
Florida’s Republican politicians have been largely silent concerning the killing of Musallet. The workplaces of the state’s two senators, Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, didn’t reply to Al Jazeera’s request for remark.
Since Musallet was killed on Friday, Scott has shared a number of social media posts in help of Israel.
On Tuesday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), referred to as on Moody, Scott, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Congresswoman Laurel Lee, who represented Musallet, to sentence the killing of the US citizen.
The advocacy group mentioned the officers’ silence is “complicity”, not neutrality.
“When Americans like Saif are killed abroad, particularly by Israeli settlers backed by the Israeli authorities, wanting the opposite approach sends a harmful message: that some American lives merely don’t matter,” CAIR mentioned in a social media put up. “We demand higher.”
